Method of and apparatus for preparing or treating electrical conductors



(No Model.)

O. E. CARPENTER.

MBTHOD OF AND ARATUS PRBPARING OR TREATING CTRIGAL DUGTORS.

No. 555,895. q- Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

v f' z 77 .7 E j UNITE -STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

CHARLES CARPENTER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING OR TREATING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,895, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed November 16, 1893. Serial No. 491,l4=l. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, OHARLEs E. CARPENTER, of the city of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Method of and Device for Annealing Resistance-Conductors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to the method of shaping electrical conductors into various forms and giving the conductors so shaped a permanent set by treating them in such manner as to make them less elastic or almost or entirely inelastic, thus decreasing or entirely removing their tendency to spring out of the desired shape. This method of shaping and giving a permanent set to conductors is especially useful in the manufacture of electric rheostats and heaters, wherein the conductor is attached to a supporting-body, of metal or other material, by enamel. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in properly securing such conductors to a supporting-body, due to the dificulty in handling the conductor and to the difficulty in keeping the conductor close to its supporting-body during the enameling process. If, for instance, the conductor is bent into what is known as the refiex type, the conductor after being shaped will bend and twist, so that the aXis of the conductor will not lie in one plane when the conductor is to be attached to a supportingbody having a plane surface, or the conductor will not lie in a regular plane when intended to be attached to cylindrical or coneshaped supportin g-bodies. Under these conditions it is extremely difficult to attach the conductor to the supporting-body with enamel, and in a great many cases,if not all cases, it is necessary to make the layer of enamel much thicker than would be required if the conductor lay perfectly fiat: The tendency of the conductor to twist and bend out of shape after it is formed is also a serious obstacle in the way of manufacturing a supply of conductors to be kept in stock for future use. It will be readily understood that to store a large number of such conductors would be a diflicult matter, as they would become so entangled and bent out of shape that they would be practically useless when needed.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties, and I have devised a simple quite soft or limp, or, in other words, inelastic,

and all sections of the conductor will fall practically fiat and even upon its supporting-body. In some instances it is desirable to apply pressure to the conductor while it is being heated, or after the conductor is heated to the desired degree to assist the process. The conductor is then allowed to cool, and when cold it becomes quite rigid without having lost its intended shape and With all sections lying close to its supporting-body. A large quantity of conductors so treated nay be economically placed in stock, since there will be no difficulty in handlin g them and little liability of their becoming entangled and twisted out of shape.

The preferred way of heating the conductor is to pass a current of electrcity therethrough, although the conductor may be heated externally in a furnace or otherwise, if desired.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a resistance-conductor of the reflex type laid upon a supporting-plate. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the supportingplate of Fig. l, and a cover or capping-plate which may be employed for applying press ure to the conductor to facilitate the treating process; and Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of a modified form of supporting-plate.

Referring to the drawings, A is the supporting-plate, which may be either of metal or of non-conductin g material and which may or may not be the supporting-plate to which the conductor is eventuallyattached. It may be here stated that, if desired, the conductor may be treated during the Construction of a rheostat or heater, or the conductors may be treated as an individual part of the manufacture when forming the conductors for future use. If electricity is employed for heating the conductor, it is necessary to place the conductor upon a supporting-plate of non-conduct-ing and preferably fireproof material,

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such as slate. If the conductor is tobeheated by external heat, in a furnace or otherwise, the conductor is preferably laid upon a metal supporting-body. The supportin g-plate A is provided with dowels or pins B, which are placed at several points to keep the conductors properly spaced while being heated.

C is the conductor which, in the illustration, is shaped into what is known as the refiex type, and D are binding-posts to which the conductor is attached when electricity is used as the heating medium. To these binding-posts the circuit-wires are attaehed, as will be well understood. The conductor is leated to about a red heat, at which point it becomes quite limp or inelastic, and the sections which are not in contact with the supporting-body will fall, and tlus all sections will lie close to the supporting-body. In sone cases it may be desirabl e to employ pressure to facilitate this action. 'For this purpose a weight may be employed, such as is illustrated by Ein Figs. 2 and 3. This plate is provided with holes with which the dowels or pins B register and also with holes into which the binding-posts D enter. hen the conductor U is placed in position upon the supporting-plate A, the cover or eappingplate E is placed tlereon, and when the current of electrieity is turned on and the conductor becomes heated the weight will gradually depress the same until all sections lie close to the supporting-plate. The cover or capping-plate may also be employed when the conductor is heated by external hoat.

In Fig. 3 l have illustrated an additional plate l`. This plate is placed upon the supporting-plate A and is provided with holes through which the dowels and binding-posts pass, and upon this plate the conductor to be heated is placed. This plate is particularly useful when extremely tine conductors are treated, and the plate is mainly employed to faeilitate the handling of the conductor after it is treated. \Vhen this plateis used, the conductor is treated as before stated, and when ready for removal the plate F with the conductor thcreon is removed from the plate A.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to straighten, anneal and temper wire by subjecting it to the action of an electrie current, but such treatment was for an entirely different purpose than that described heroin. My sole object in heating the conductor, either by electrieity or by external heat,is to make it suttcientlylimp orinelastic so that it will lie in the surface desired or close toits supporting-body, and when cold it will become set, or, in other words, remain in its desired shape. Any annealing or tempering of the wire which may take place during its treatment forms no part of my invention and is only incidental thereto and ofi'ers no advantages in the manufacture of rheostats or heaters.

lVhat I claim is-- 1. The method of preparing electric conduetors, which consists in first shaping the conductor, then placing the same upon a supporting-body, then heating the conductor until it becomes limp orinelastic, and then allowing the conductor to cool, substantially as and for the purpose set 'fol-th.

2. The method of preparing electric conductors, which consists in first shaping the conductor, then placin g the same upon a supporting-body, then heating the conductor by electricity until it becomes limp or inelastic, and then allowing the conductor to cool, substautially as and for the purpose set i'orth.

The method of preparing clectrie conductors, which consists in first shaping the conductor, then placing the same upon a supportin g-bod y, then heating the conductor,and subjecting it to pressure, wlereby all. sections of the conductor are caused to lie in the desired surface, and then allowing the conductor to cool, substantially as and 'for the purpose set forth.

4. In apparatus l'or treating electric conductors as heroin. described, the combination of a supporting-body, and neans i'or holding the conductor in the desired form while being heated, substantiall y as set forth.

5. In apparatus for treat-ing clectric conductors as heroin described, the combination of a supporting-body, means for holding the conductor in the desired form while being heated, and means l'or a-pplying pressure to the eonduetors, substantially as set forth.

G. In apparatus for treating electric conductors as herein described, the combination of a supporting-body, and spacing pins or dowels carried by said body for holding the conductor in the desired form while being heated, substantially as set forth.

7. In apparatus for treating eleetric conductors as herein described, the combination of a supporting-body of non-conductin g material, means for holding the conductor in the desired form, binding-posts to which the ends of the conductor are adapted to be attacled and to which the circuit-wires from a source of eleetricity are also adapted to be attachcd, substantially as set forth.

S. In apparatus i'or treating eleetric con,- ductors as hercin described, the combination of a supporting-body, spacing pins or dowels carried by said body for holdiu g the conductor in the desired form while being heated, and a removable plate carried by said su pportingbody and upon which the conductor to be treated is placed, substantially as set t'orth.

9. In apparatus for treating electric conductors as hei-ein described, the combination of a supporting-body, means for holding the conductor in the desired i'orm. while being heated, and a plate adapted to be placed ove r the conductor 'or giving pressu re thereto, suhstantially as set toi-th.

CHARLES E. CARPEN'PER.

XVitnesses:

R. C. MITOHELL, JOHN KENNY, Jr.

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